SUMMARY
- Supreme Court ruled many Trump tariffs unlawful under emergency powers law.
- US trade chief Jamieson Greer says tariff policy will continue.
- Trump has announced a new 15% global tariff under a different statute.
WASHINGTON, DC- The Trump administration is pressing ahead with its tariffs policy despite a sharp rebuke from the Supreme Court of the United States, which ruled that many of President Donald Trump’s tariffs were illegal.
Top US trade negotiator Jamieson Greer insisted Sunday that the administration remains committed to its tariff strategy, describing it as central to US trade leverage.
“The reality is, we want to maintain the policy we have,” Greer said on This Week, adding that businesses should expect continuity despite the legal setback.
Supreme Court Strikes Down Key Tariffs
In a 6-3 ruling on Friday, the Supreme Court found that the administration had improperly used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs.
The court held that the authority to levy tariffs during peacetime belongs to Congress, not the executive branch.
The decision dismantled a central pillar of Trump’s trade agenda, which relied heavily on emergency powers under the 1977 statute.
However, within hours of the ruling, Trump unveiled a new 15% global tariff on imports, this time invoking Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, a different legal mechanism that allows temporary trade measures.
Greer emphasized that while the legal tools may change, the administration’s broader trade strategy remains intact.
Global and Domestic Fallout
The tariff turbulence has drawn reactions from around the world.
China’s commerce ministry called for the US to lift the tariffs, warning that protectionism “leads nowhere.” India reportedly delayed sending a trade delegation to Washington amid the policy uncertainty.
At home, critics argue the policy has driven up consumer prices without delivering promised industrial gains.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described the ruling as a win for American consumers, saying Trump’s “overreach failed.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom attacked the administration’s approach as chaotic, calling it “madness” and accusing the White House of destabilizing the economy.
Meanwhile, US small business owner Victor Schwartz, one of the plaintiffs in the case, said the ruling brought relief to companies that had struggled under the tariffs.
Policy Persistence Amid Legal Limits
Greer acknowledged that the administration now has less flexibility in using emergency powers but indicated it would not automatically seek congressional approval for the new tariffs.
The 15% global tariff is temporary and set to expire within five months without congressional authorization.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said revenue projections remain unchanged and reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to reshoring American manufacturing.
“The president and the administration remain undeterred,” Bessent said.
The legal battle may not be over, but the policy fight clearly continues.
For now, the Trump tariffs Supreme Court ruling has reshaped the legal terrain — without altering the administration’s determination to press forward.
